Unfortunately, America grows more divided and divided everyday. This time we are really seeing both parties stretch to their limits. The government has been partially shut down since December 22 and as it ends its third week, people all over are expressing their feelings about it. Is it bad? Yes. Is it that bad? Well, not for now.
Why do we have this shutdown? For those who don't know, it's basically because President Trump and Democrats who control the House cannot agree on funding for the wall on the U.S-Mexico border. Trump wants over $5 billion for the wall, and the Democrats will give on $1.6.
So what is happening right now? 9 out of 15 federal departments remain closed, including many agencies. However, funding bills have been passed, so 3/4 of the government is basically unaffected. The food stamp service remains funded until at least February so that buys some time. Still, bout 380,000 federal employees are furloughed and working without pay. National Parks are closed and are accumulating trash and neglect. Many others in the White House are either going without pay or are not receiving their annual pay raises. In fact, some say that maybe the White House will run out of water since the government hasn't paid about $5 million as part of its $16.5 quarterly bill.
Are people happy? Not really, many are quick to blame fingers, but we have to give both sides credit. This issue is a very big issue
I do think it's unfair how Democrat leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi are only calling out Trump for holding the American people hostage because isn't that what they themselves are doing? Trump is unfair in that he may want to hold on the shutdown for "months and years", as he said when talking to Schumer and Pelosi.
Implications? Well, somebody will have to budge. The reason why no one has budged is because this is one of Trump's key promises that he made over two years ago, although then he said Mexico would be paying for it... Nevertheless if Trump budges, then not only will he alienate his voter based, but he will lose credibility and power because that would mean he is breaking his promise and cutting deals to the opponents. In a sense, Trump has more to lose because this will impact his next two years in office along with his potential 2020 campaign. On the other side, Schumer and Pelosi are trying to unite their party that has been split with the wave of Democrat-Socialists, and so this is an important power move and the first move since Pelosi regained Speaker of the House.
We'll just have to see how it goes because the many meetings and lunches that have been had to discuss this partial shutdown have produced nothing.
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